They Drained My Father Dry

I huddled beneath the hospital bed, the metallic tang of old floor cleaner stinging my nose. I bit my lip so hard I tasted copper, desperate to stifle the hitch in my breath.

Then, it happened. That cold, synthetic voicethe one that sounded like my fathers but lacked every ounce of his warmthechoed in the hollows of my mind.

[System: Affection levels of target confirmed as irrecoverable. Application for "Death-Escape" protocol approved. Countdown to departure: Forty-eight hours.]

I knew exactly who the "target" was.

Today was supposed to be a celebration. My father, Adrian, was finally getting the heavy cast removed from his leg. He had shattered it a year ago, throwing himself in front of a runaway SUV to save my mother, Debby. Hed traded his mobility for her life.

But as we were leaving the clinic, Felixmy mothers personal assistant, a man who trailed after her like a perfumed shadowlet out a staged, sharp gasp of terror.

Debby didnt even look back. She reflexively shoved Adrians reaching hand away, her entire body pivoting to shield Felix instead. Adrian, still unsteady on his crutches, stood no chance. The shove sent him spiraling. He tumbled down the marble staircase, the sickening thud of his body against stone echoing through the lobby.

Beside me, my seven-year-old twin brother, Noah, didnt cry. He clapped.

Yes! Now Felix can be my new dad!

Adrian lay in a blooming pool of red, his face the color of ash. He didnt scream. He didnt beg her to come back or ask why. He just stared at the blood spreading across the floorhis spleen had ruptured, though we didn't know it yetwith eyes that had gone utterly vacant.

I saw the flicker of panic in my mothers eyes, but it was quickly buried under the weight of her habitual arrogance.

Felixs PTSD cant handle these scenes, Adrian, she snapped, her voice ice-cold. How long are you going to keep up this pathetic act? If you hadn't lied about being my 'savior' all those years ago just to marry into the family, Felix wouldn't be this broken. You even had the nerve to slow-poison his supplements.

She adjusted her coat, looking down at her dying husband. Consider this a lesson. Dont you dare call the police. Call your own damn ambulance.

Adrian just closed his eyes, a ragged, exhausted "Okay" fluttering from his lips.

Now, its the second day.

Felix is in the VIP suite next door, wearing the custom-made watch Adrian had gifted my mother for their anniversary, boasting to the nurses. My mother is there too, cooing over that manipulative snake, asking if he needs more water, more pillows.

I watch from the shadows, my heart a block of dry ice. I know something she doesn't. Soon, she wont even have the right to beg for his forgiveness on her knees.

...

Debby cast a bored, disparaging look at the hospital bed.

Adrian, drop the 'dead fish' act. Who are you trying to impress?

Felix was kind enough to come visit you, even after you ruined his health with those toxins. And you just lie there like youre waiting for a funeral?

My father didn't answer. He just slowly drifted his eyes shut. The white sheets beneath his cast were already beginning to bloom with a dark, rusted crimson.

Mom, lets go. It smells like a locker room in here.

Noah, my own flesh and blood, ran in holding his nose. He punctuated his entrance by kicking the frame of Adrian's bed. The dull clang made my father flinch in visible agony.

Felix is the cool dad! This guy is just a liar! Noah yelled, pointing a finger at the man who had spent every night of Noah's life tucking him in.

Debby smoothed Noahs hair with a doting smile. Be a good boy, Noah. Go pull the cord on that call button. We don't want him ringing the nurses and bothering Felix while hes trying to nap.

Noah cheered, scrambled onto the nightstand, and ripped the emergency cord from the wall with a triumphant jerk.

My fathers eyes snapped open then. He looked at the son he had nearly died to protect in that car wreck. The love that usually lived in his gaze had been replaced by a flat, terrifying stillness.

What are you looking at? Stare at me again and Ill have Mom kick you out! Noah made a hideous face.

Debby let out a sharp, mocking laugh, ushering Felix toward the door. Tell the nursing station no one enters this room. When hes ready to apologize for his behavior, thenand only thencan he have his pain meds.

Felix leaned his weight onto Debbys shoulder, his voice a soft, melodic whine. Debby, isnt this a bit much? He did just fall down the stairs.

Fall? The doctors said he probably tripped on purpose to guilt-trip me, Debby scoffed.

The heavy door clicked shut. The room fell into a suffocating darkness.

I crawled out from under the bed, scrambling to the bedside. Dad...

I whispered his name, my entire body shaking with a sob I couldn't release. Adrian reached out a trembling hand, stroking my hair with fingers that felt like ice.

Dont cry, Grace. Daddys okay.

But he wasn't. The mattress was soaked. Blood was beginning to drip, rhythmic and heavy, onto the linoleum floor.

Dad, Ill get the doctor. Ill beg Mom, Ill tell her

I turned to run, but his grip, surprisingly strong, caught my wrist.

Dont go to her. He stared at the closed door, his voice raspy. They dont deserve you.

[Warning: Hosts vital signs are dropping rapidly. System suggests immediate intervention to stop the bleeding.]

Refuse intervention. Continue countdown, my father replied in the silence of his mind.

Outside, I heard Felixs theatrical cough. Debby, do you think hes okay in there? That blood looked... intense.

Hes fine. Hes a grown man; he can handle a little scratch without playing dead. Debbys voice drifted away, full of disdain. Come on, lets take Noah for steak. You need the protein.

Yay! Lobster mac and cheese! Noahs voice faded down the hall.

I picked up my fathers blood-stained phone, my thumbs trembling as I dialed three digits. When the operator picked up, I fought through the knot in my throat.

911? I need to report an attempted murder. Central Hospital, VIP Wing, top floor.

I hung up and climbed into the bed, wrapping my arms around my fathers cooling body, trying to hold the life inside him.

Minutes felt like hours. Finally, the sound of frantic footsteps echoed in the hallway. I heard a nurses panicked protest.

Officer, this is a private suite! You cant just

Move aside! We received a report of a violent crime in progress. A stern male voice cut through the air.

The door handle rattled violently. Police! Open up!

Two officers burst in. When they saw the sheer volume of blood on the floor and my fathers waxen face, their expressions shifted to pure shock.

Get a crash cart in here! Patient is in hypovolemic shock! the lead officer barked into his radio.

I lunged forward, grabbing the officers tactical trousers. My mom pushed him. She told the doctors to stay away. She broke the call button so he couldn't ask for help!

The officer knelt, his eyes wide as he took in my blood-covered hands.

Just then, Debby arrived, her security detail flanking her like a small army. Felix hovered behind her, looking like a startled deer.

Who gave you permission to invade my husbands room? Debby demanded, pointing a manicured finger at the cops.

The officer stood up, his hand resting on his belt. Were investigating an attempted murder, Ms. Saxon. We need you to step back.

Debby looked at the dying man on the bed and let out a sharp, hysterical laugh. Murder? Hes clearly still breathing. Officer, this is a domestic dispute. My husband has severe bipolar disorder; he self-mutilates to manipulate me.

I screamed, throwing myself at her legs, pounding my fists against her expensive slacks. Liar! You pushed him because of that bad man!

Debby shoved me away with a sneer. Grace, one more word and Im sending you to a boarding school in the middle of nowhere.

The officer began to protest, but Debbys phone chimed. She listened for a few seconds, then handed the device to the officer.

Its your Commissioner.

The officers face went tight as he listened. Within minutes, a swarm of Saxon Group lawyers and private medical consultants flooded the room, physically cordoning off the police. A lawyer handed over a thick folder.

Officer, these are Mr. Saxons psychiatric evaluations. He suffers from paranoid delusions and persecutory mania. This is a private family matter. We decline any police intervention.

The officer looked at me, then at my father, and sighed with a look of defeated pity. Ms. Saxon, domestic abuse is still a crime. Watch yourself.

They left. The room went silent again, colder than before.

Debby walked to the bed, grabbed my fathers collar, and hauled him upward. Adrian, youve grown some teeth, haven't you? Teaching your daughter to call the cops?

Let him go! I bit her wrist.

She cried out and backhanded me. The force sent me spinning to the floor, my ears ringing with a deafening buzz.

Grace... My father finally reacted, struggling to move his shattered leg.

Debby laughed, pulling a legal document from her clutch and slapping it against his chest. Since you want to play games, lets finish this. Sign the divorce papers. You leave with nothing. I keep Grace. And you sign this confession.

Adrians hands shook as he picked up the second paper.

I, Adrian Saxon, admit to poisoning Felix Vance out of jealousy and faking my injuries to extort my wife.

In your dreams, my father wheezed, tearing the paper in half.

Debbys eyes darkened. She ground her heel directly into the fracture site of his broken leg. You think youre in a position to negotiate?

Felix stepped forward, showing his phone screen. Adrian, look at the news.

The top headline read: Gold-Digging Husband Traps Tech Mogul: The Truth Behind the Saxon Marriage. A leaked, edited video showed Adrian "tripping" himself down the stairs. The comments were a vitriolic swarm of hate.

Everyone hates you, Adrian, Felix whispered. If you don't sign and record an apology, Saxon Group stock will tank. And Debby gets very angry when she loses money.

Debby pressed harder on his leg. Adrians body convulsed in silent agony. Sign it. Or I send Grace to a facility tomorrow, and you will never see her again.

My father froze. He looked at Debby, and I watched the last ember of hope in his eyes turn to gray ash.

Fine, he whispered. Ill sign.

He scrawled his name. Debby snatched the papers, looking satisfied. See? That wasn't so hard.

She turned to her guards. Lock the door. No food. No water. No one enters until I say so.

The lock turned. I crawled to him, sobbing into his chest. Dad, Im sorry. Im so useless...

He stroked my face, his eyes suddenly piercingly clear. Grace, remember their faces today. One day, youll take it all back. With interest.

[Countdown: Twenty-four hours.]

Time bled away. No water, no food. My fathers fever climbed, then plummeted. His breath became a stuttering rhythm of gasps. I held him, trying to pour my own warmth into his skin.

[Countdown: Six hours.]

The door burst open again. Debby stormed in, her face flushed red, followed by a team of surgeons.

Get him up! she barked.

The doctors grabbed him, dragging him from the bed.

What are you doing? Leave him alone! I tried to push them, but Debby grabbed my collar and threw me into a chair.

Adrian, stop faking. Felix just had a massive internal hemorrhage. He needs a transfusion. Hes O-negative, youre O-negative. Were taking it now.

My father opened his eyes. My leg is shattered... Im bleeding internally... and you want to drain my blood for him?

A little blood wont kill you! Debby snapped. If you hadn't poisoned him, he wouldn't be in this state!

One of the doctors hesitated. Ms. Saxon, the patient is already in shock. A large draw could be fatal.

I said draw it! Debby smashed a glass IV stand against the wall. Ill take the responsibility! If anything happens to Felix, Ill ruin all of you!

They didn't hesitate again. They strapped him down and shoved a thick needle into his bruised vein.

No! Please stop! I lunged forward and bit Debbys arm again.

Get off me, you little brat! She kicked me in the stomach. I flew backward, hitting a metal cabinet. The impact knocked the wind out of me, and I spat out a mouthful of blood.

Grace! my father screamed, throwing the doctors off for a split second.

Debby grabbed his hair, pinning his head against the bed frame. Move again, Adrian, and Ill kill her right now. I swear to God.

He went still. He looked at the blood on my lips, then slowly turned his arm back to the doctor. Take it. Take it all.

One bag. Two. Three.

My fathers skin turned the color of a tombstone. His body began to twitch. His pupils dilated until his eyes were almost entirely black.

Ms. Saxon, we have to stop. Hes going into cardiac arrest!

Debby looked at the four full bags of blood and shrugged. Hes tougher than he looks. She grabbed the bags and walked out without a backward glance.

I crawled to him, checking his breath. It was a ghost of a sensation.

Noah stood in the doorway, clutching a toy robot. He looked at the blood on the floor and clapped his hands. Good! Take more! Felix needs it to be healthy! The bad man deserves to be empty!

I stared at my brother's face. I burned it into my memory, alongside Debby and Felix.

[Warning! Hosts vitals have reached the limit. Death-Escape protocol initiating.]

[Countdown: One hour.]

Adrian lay his head in my lap, a tragic, broken smile on his lips. Grace... survive...

The door opened one last time. This time, Debby looked even more frantic. Felix was behind her in a wheelchair, looking remarkably healthy for someone who just had a "hemorrhage."

Debby, Im scared. The doctor said my kidneys are failing now, Felix sobbed into her hip.

Dont worry, baby. Im here. She looked up at my father on the floor. Adrian, Felix needs a kidney. Youre a match. Youre giving him yours.

My father couldn't even lift his head. A wet, rattling sound came from his throat. Debby... youre insane. Youve drained me dry... now you want my organs?

You ruined his! Its only fair you replace them! she yelled. You have two! You wont die from losing one. Stop being so dramatic.

The surgeon wiped sweat from his brow. Ms. Saxon, in his current state... he will 100% die on the table.

Debby hesitated for a second. Then, Noah pointed a finger at me.

Mom! Grace has two kidneys! Use hers! Shes young, shes healthy! If she gives one to Felix, he can play with me forever!

I looked at my twin brother. He was seven. How could a seven-year-old be this monstrous?

Felixs eyes lit up, then he feigned hesitation. Oh, I couldn't... shes just a child.

Its fine! Debby grabbed my arm, hauling me up. Doctor, prep her for a match. Now!

Let me go! You monster! I fought, biting her hand until it bled. She didn't let go.

Guards, take her to the OR!

As the men moved toward me, my fatherthe man who supposedly couldn't movelunged. He grabbed a tray of surgical tools, a scalpel clutched in his fist.

LEAVE HER ALONE! he roared, a sound from the depths of hell.

He held the blade to his own throat. The skin parted, a thin line of red appearing.

Adrian! Stop this! Debby flinched back, releasing me. I scrambled into the corner.

My father stood up, swaying, forcing them back with the sheer madness in his eyes. You want a kidney, Debby? You want blood?

He started to laugha desperate, jagged sound. He backed away toward the massive floor-to-ceiling window at the end of the suite. Behind him was a fourteen-story drop.

Adrian, be reasonable! Drop the knife! Debbys voice finally held a tremor of real fear. I wont touch Grace, I promise.

He reached the glass. He looked at the woman he had loved for a decade. I dont believe you anymore, Debby.

He swung the heavy IV stand, smashing it into the glass. It shattered into a thousand diamonds. The wind roared in, whipping his blood-soaked hair.

[Countdown finished. System destruction sequence engaged.]

He looked at me one last time. It was a look of infinite sorrow and finality.

Debby, I give you my life. But my daughters life... stays hers.

He stepped backward into the abyss.